Resources

General Audience

 Stations of the Cross Bishop Barron ` 1 hour Youtube

Formed video ~ the Triduum

How to make a cross from your palms Youtube courtesy of the Archdiocese of Denver

Sisters of Mercy Lent and Holy Week Resources

 Stations of the Cross Bishop Barron ` 1 hour Youtube

Family and Classroom

Catholic Icing Ultimate Guide for Holy Week

Catholic Teacher Resources

Loyola Press Holy Week Resources 3 minute retreats, videos, crafts, devotional activities..

NCCL Catholic Families Resources for Holy Week

The Religion Teacher Holy Week Lesson Plans videos, activities, prayer

Sadlier Holy Week Resources prayer cards, stations of the cross, Palm Sunday Activity

Teaching Catholic Kids Holy Week pamphlets, how to fold a palm, etc

Order of the Anointing of the Sick and of Their Pastoral Care

The Office of Christian Formation, in collaboration with the Liturgical Commission, will offer a workshop on the new Order. This event will occur on Tuesday, April 14 from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm at Sacred Heart Parish, 5752 Blanding Blvd.

 A session for clergy will be held in the church and a session for laity who serve the homebound will be held in the family life center. Registration is necessary, although this offering is free.

Jotform to register

There will be a limited number of these ritual books available for sale at the workshop.

Closing of the Catechetical Year Gathering

The Catechetical Leader Closing Celebration will be held on Tuesday, May 12. By popular demand, we will return to the Hilltop Restaurant in Orange Park for our gathering. We will start at 11:30 am.

This year, we have a bit of a different menu. You should choose your selection on the Jotform when you register.

Chicken Florentine Served over Pasta with Asparagus

Grilled Salmon with Lemon Dill Sauce Served with Seasoned Rice and Asparagus

Jotform to register

Register of Catechumens

The Order of the Catechumen registry books are in. If you ordered from the office, you should expect them within the next week or so. Please note, all parishes must have a registry, which is a sacramental registry so kept in your parish safe. The unbaptized, when they enter this celebrate this rite of the OCIA are recorded here. This has always been part of the OCIA/RCIA, but it is now normative. See below from the OCIA ritual:

REGISTRATION OF INITIATION-RELATED ACTS

Norm 14 §1. The register of those who have entered the catechumenate is to be kept in the parish archive.

§2. In addition to those things required by OCIA 46, the pastor is to see that the date and place of birth of the catechumens are inscribed in the register.

The date of entrance into the Catechumenate, which is to be a minimum of one liturgical year starting at Easter, will be verified when you submit the information for the Rite of Election next year.

If you have baptized Catholics in your OCIA process, delegation is needed for the pastor to confirm them at the Easter Vigil/Easter Season. The OCF provides a form letter for you to use:

Delegation (English)

Delegation (Spanish)

18th Annual Summer School of Theology

For obvious reasons, we invited an Augustinian to provide this year's Summer School of Theology. Fr, Gary McCloskey, O.S.A., Ph.D is a well-known leader in Augustinian spirituality and pedagogy having shared his ministry on 6 of the 7 continents. He is a frequent retreat master.

Our theme will be: "Before all else, Christ came so that people might learn how much God loves them." The week will be guided by the pastoral insights of Pope Leo XIV as he laid forth in his Address to Educators on the Occasion of the Jubilee of the World of Education, St. Peter's Square, October 31, 2025:

"I would like therefore, to share my experience with you by focusing on the doctrine of Doctor Gratiae (the Doctor of Grace ~ St. Augustine) that I consider fundamental to all Christian education: interiority, unity, love, and joy."

The 5 days, June 22 -26, will have a daily focus:

Monday: Introduction to Pope Leo's insights

Tuesday: Interiority

Wednesday: Unity

Thursday: Love

Friday: Joy

Schedule each day is 9:00 am - 3:30 pm with Mass celebrated each day prior to lunch.

Jotform to register

When you register, we will provide the links to the readings for the week.

This is a Level III (Continuing Formation Opportunity)

Pleased to announce this Conference on Inclusive Formation

This conference is being offered in a fully bilingual format.

In partnership with the National Catholic Partnership on Disabilities (NCPD) and the Catholic Foundation, the Office of Christian Formation will be hosting this bilingual opportunity for all who work in formation and education in the Diocese of St. Augustine.

There will be 4 workshops offered in both Spanish and English. The Spanish workshops are partially sponsored through a Lilly Grant.

You will be able to sign up for 1, 2, 3, or 4 workshops. Lunch will be provided for those who sign up for the entire 2 days.

Jotform to register

Family Prayers for the Sacraments

Two years ago, I created these. The Confirmation one was originally part of the preparation with parents at the parish where I served as the DRE. I dusted that one off and revamped the format for it to be used in church prior to the celebration of the sacrament. Frequently, parents do not know how to pray for their children in those moments prior to the celebration. These are meant to be one tool for that.

First Communion Prayer (Daughter)

First Communion Day Prayer (Daughter) Spanish

First Communion Day Prayer (Son)

First Communion Day Prayer (Son) Spanish

Confirmation Day Prayer (Daughter)

Confirmation Day Prayer (Daughter) Spanish

Confirmation Day Prayer (Son)

Confirmation Day Prayer (Son) Spanish

Youth Confirmation

Please find attached the Administering Confirmation document as a reminder for you on the basic details of not only the preparation of the youth, but also the timing for the letters to bishop, the question of a Confirmation name, as well as details for the Mass.

Administering Confirmation 2026

Administering Confirmation (Spanish) 2026

Adult Confirmation

The next celebration of adult Confirmation will be celebrated by Bishop Pohlmeier in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine on Pentecost Sunday, May 24 at 2:00 pm. 

This celebration is for Catholics who are baptized and received First Communion in their youth but for whatever reason were not confirmed.  Formation sessions should start now and these begin with the verification of current sacramental status.

Completed, typed registrations are due 6 week prior to the celebration. All information, including correct spelling of names, must be provided! Deadline is April 11

Registration form (TYPED, please)

Adult Confirmation check list for parishes

Gender Accompaniment series from the McGrath Institute

Developed by McGrath Institute for Church Life Professor Abigail Favale, Ph.D., bestselling author of The Genesis of Gender, The Gender Accompaniment Project is a ten-part series featuring the stories of Christians who experience a sense of discordance with their gender.

Blending personal testimonies with thoughtful commentary from experts in theology, psychology, and medicine, The Gender Accompaniment Project illuminates forms of accompaniment rooted in Christian anthropology and models how to speak about gender with both compassion and depth.

You can watch the trailer to get a good idea of the series. You can access the series on: spotify, Apple Podcats, or Youtube. See link below.

Gender Accompaniment Project

Basic Certification (Level I)

Summer Offering:



Catholic School Special~ St. Paul, Jacksonville Beach, June 15 -18, 2026

Registration is now open:

Jotform to register

Dates and locations for next year are in the works. If you location would like to host, please contact Erin at Erin's Email We ae obligated to cover the 17,000 square miles of the diocese, so...

Standard certification is achieved either through courses through the McGrath Institute (STEP) or through the University of Dayton (VLCFF).

Standard Certification Options

STEP through the McGrath Institute

STEP Camino Courses Comprehensive list for the year.

VLCFF through the University of Dayton

VLCFF Calendar

American and Native American Catholic Witnesses Master Class

2-Part Master Class hosted by Father Maurice Henry Sands



Starts April 14. ENROLL NOW!

In this FREE master class, Father Maurice Henry Sands explores the powerful witness of African American and Native American Catholics and their lasting contributions to the history of the Church in the United States. Participants will discover inspiring stories of faith, perseverance, and holiness that continue to shape the Church today.

AGENDA

CLASS 1—Six African American Candidates for Sainthood

April 14, 2026 at 5 p.m. EDT

We’ll explore the remarkable lives of:

• Venerable Pierre Toussaint
• Venerable Mother Mary Lange
• Venerable Henriette DeLille
• Servant of God Julia Greeley
• Venerable Father Augustus Tolton
• Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman

Learn how these men and women lived lives of heroic virtue and how their witness continues to inspire Catholics today.

CLASS 2—The History of Native American Catholics

April 15, 2026 at 5 p.m. EDT

We’ll discuss:

• Early Spanish and French missionaries in what is now the United States and Canada
• The life and legacy of Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American saint
• The impact of U.S. government policies on Native American Catholics in the 19th century and how the Church responded
• The ongoing work of the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions as part of the Black and Indian Mission Office

There are two ways you can attend the master class:

1. Attend the classes LIVE via Zoom (where you can ask questions during the class and connect with other attendees)
2. Access the master class videos, reflection questions, and featured resources the day after each live broadcast

Watch both classes and receive a Certificate of Participation. Details will follow.

Join, the Advance Your Expertise In Catechesis Facebook Group so you can connect with other educators and get additional support throughout the master class and beyond.

About the Father Maurice Henry Sands

Fr. Maurice Henry Sands is the Executive Director of the Black and Indian Mission Office in Washington, DC. Fr. Sands is a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit. He is a full-blooded Native American who grew up on a beautiful island known as Bkejwanong First Nation, located on the St. Clair River, just north of Detroit. He is a member of the Ojibway, Ottawa, and Potawatomi tribes, and he is an enrolled member of the Little Traverse Bands of Ottawa Indians. Fr. Sands also serves as a Consultant to the USCCB Subcommittee on Native American Affairs, as a consultant to the USCCB Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, and as an ex officio board member of the Tekakwitha Conference.

Fr. Sands's work focuses on supporting ministry programs that serve African American and Native American Catholics in dioceses across the United States. He travels throughout the year to visit parishes, schools, diocesan ministry offices, and national organizations that serve African American and Native American Catholics. Fr. Sands has a particular interest in supporting and strengthening Catholic schools serving African American and Native American communities.

Register for this master class